When it rains in cities and towns, stormwater runs off of impervious surfaces – like roads, driveways, rooftops, and parking lots – and into our streams, rivers, bays, lakes, and oceans. Often, the runoff carries sediments and pollutants with it that harm the quality of these bodies of water.

Through the Baltimore-based Living Classroom Foundation’s School Leadership in Urban Runoff Reduction Project (SLURRP), students explore how to help nature “slurp” up stormwater before it turns into runoff pollution.

Made possible through a grant from the NOAA Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) program for Chesapeake Bay, SLURRP is an educational program where youth engage in activities such as community cleanup, storm drain stenciling, rain barrel construction, community outreach, and green space planting.

SLURRP Festival



This spring, the year-long program will culminate in a two-day festival in Baltimore for 4th and 5th graders, teachers, and chaperones. The festival is on Thursday and Friday, April 24-25, 2008, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. each day, and will be held at Farring-Baybrook Park on West Bay Avenue in Baltimore.

Opportunity to Present

The festival will connect students to their community and environment, instilling a sense of lifelong stewardship. Living Classrooms Foundation is currently looking for presenters at the festival. Here’s more information from the foundation:

“Last year's festival could not have happened without the help of our wonderful volunteer presenters. This year we are hoping to have 10 stations both days. That means we need at least 10 different presenters/programs willing to present on each day.

We offer an excellent pizza lunch in return for your hard work. Here's what you need to know if you would like to help:

You will need to prepare a 25 minute activity for 1 class (approx. 20 students) to be repeated 6 times. We welcome any type of environmental education, especially lessons related to the Chesapeake Bay and/or solutions to runoff pollution. Last year's stations ranged from “Native Birds of Prey” to “It's Easy to be Green”, a presentation on green building design given by the Green Buildings Network. Cross-curricular activities, including art, history, and math are also welcome.

The sooner you can commit the better! Please let us know by March 24th at the latest, as we will be finalizing the rotation schedule at the beginning of April.”

For more information, contact Christine Orr at corr[at]livingclassrooms.org, 410-685-0295 ex.239